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Earthquake in Italy: Before and after

Before Wednesday's earthquake, Amatrice was considered one of the loveliest villages in Italy. Now, it seems almost completely destroyed. Photos taken before and after the disaster show the extent of the devastation.

Once an idyllic village - now full of rubble

The peaceful village of Amatrice is one of the places worst-hit by the quake. Shortly after 3.30 am on August 24, the residents were jolted from their sleep. Before, it was an idyllic place to live in and visit; now, much of it is reduced to rubble. If one looks to the right from here...

Churches destroyed

... one can see the ruins of the Chiesa di Sant'Agostino. The intricate carving on the late Gothic portal from the 15th century has fallen prey to the quake and now no longer exists. The Basilica of San Francesco with murals from the 14th and 15th century was also heavily damaged.

A homeless population

The police station in Accumoli. The mayor, Stefano Petrucci, said that 2,500 people no longer had a roof over their heads. Not a single house was habitable, he said. "We have to organize a tent city for the whole population," he told the Italian news agency Ansa.

Many lives lost

More than 270 people have lost their lives in the earthquake, according to an official toll. Hundreds are injured. The director of the Civil Protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio, says the earthquake could take on "even worse dimensions than the one in L'Aquila" seven years ago, in which 309 people died.

Showing solidarity with a museum visit

The door of the historic museum in Arquata del Tronto lost its stucco decoration in the quake. The Culture Ministry in Rome announced that it would donate all admission money received on Sunday to those affected by the earthquake. Minister Dario Franceschini called on Italians to go to museums " as a sign of solidarity."

Once an idyllic village - now full of rubble

The peaceful village of Amatrice is one of the places worst-hit by the quake. Shortly after 3.30 am on August 24, the residents were jolted from their sleep. Before, it was an idyllic place to live in and visit; now, much of it is reduced to rubble. If one looks to the right from here...

Churches destroyed

... one can see the ruins of the Chiesa di Sant'Agostino. The intricate carving on the late Gothic portal from the 15th century has fallen prey to the quake and now no longer exists. The Basilica of San Francesco with murals from the 14th and 15th century was also heavily damaged.

A homeless population

The police station in Accumoli. The mayor, Stefano Petrucci, said that 2,500 people no longer had a roof over their heads. Not a single house was habitable, he said. "We have to organize a tent city for the whole population," he told the Italian news agency Ansa.

Many lives lost

More than 270 people have lost their lives in the earthquake, according to an official toll. Hundreds are injured. The director of the Civil Protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio, says the earthquake could take on "even worse dimensions than the one in L'Aquila" seven years ago, in which 309 people died.

Showing solidarity with a museum visit

The door of the historic museum in Arquata del Tronto lost its stucco decoration in the quake. The Culture Ministry in Rome announced that it would donate all admission money received on Sunday to those affected by the earthquake. Minister Dario Franceschini called on Italians to go to museums " as a sign of solidarity."